Category Archives: MAIN DISH RECIPES

CHICKEN MARSALA WITH DRIED MUSHROOMS AND EGG NOODLES

Leave a reply

I don’t always have fresh fungi hiding out in the veggie drawer of my refrigerator. (And yes, you should refrigerate mushrooms to keep them fresh. Store them in a paper bag or porous container. Avoid plastic bags and sealed containers when storing mushrooms as the lack of air flow will speed up spoilage.)

Anyway, I didn’t have any mushrooms the other day when I decided to serve chicken marsala for dinner. And as everyone knows, mushrooms are an integral component of marsala. (Chicken marsala is an Italian American dish of pan-fried chicken cutlets and mushrooms in a Marsala wine sauce. The mushrooms are typically seared and tossed with the chicken.) Well, there you go. Except I didn’t have any mushrooms, and I jolly well wasn’t going to make a special trip to the grocery store for one ingredient! So, then, what to do? Well, duh, use dried mushrooms. And that’s just what I did. (And yes, I always keep 2 or 3 types of dried shrooms in my pantry.)

I also didn’t have any heavy cream. Which is also an ingredient you find in most marsala sauced recipes. (Witness one of the other chicken marsala recipes already on this site – Creamy Chicken Marsala with Egg Noodles. (Which BTW, was the basis for the recipe you find below.) My other recipe entitled Chicken Marsala, contains mushrooms but no heavy cream. But neither recipe was exactly right for this occasion, so I simply made do with what was available.

So, basically, I’ve got you covered whether you have or don’t have mushrooms on hand or do or don’t have or want to use heavy cream. And if you hate mushrooms, just leave them out. (I’m sure you figured that part out all by yourself!)  

Regardless of which recipe you use, even if it isn’t one of my recipes, you should make chicken marsala in the near future. It is just so yummy. And I would advise serving it with egg noodles.

Well, that’s all I have to say on the matter. Mr. C. is doing some errands today and has offered to stop at the store and pick up some fresh fish for tonight. And I thought simple fried rice (brown of course) would make a nice and different side dish. So, along with some kind of lemony aioli for the fish, I better do a bit of research on fried rice, because again, I am lacking some of the ingredients in the three fried rice recipes already on this site. So, wish me luck coming up with a tasty new recipe. And I’ll let you know if fried rice is a nice accompaniment to fried fish. Never a dull moment here at Chez Carr.

And as always, peace and love to all.     

⅓ c. broken dried mushroom pieces (I used dry porcini mushrooms)

½ c. boiling water

3 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

½ tsp. seasoned salt

fresh ground black pepper

1 lg. chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. unsalted butter

1 shallot, thinly sliced or 2 T. finely diced onion

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

¼ tsp. dried thyme

1 c. Marsala wine

1 c. chicken broth

½ c. whole milk

2 T. cream cheese

2 c. lightly packed dry egg noodles, cooked al dente

Combine the mushroom pieces and boiling water together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, seasoned salt, and black pepper together in a Ziplock bag. Toss the cubed chicken pieces in the flour mixture to coat. (Save the flour that remains in the bag.)

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan. Add the chicken and sear on all sides until lightly browned. (The chicken will not be cooked at this point.) Remove the chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.

Add the shallot or onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and dried thyme. Cook for 1 minute.

Add the wine and the chicken stock to the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon to remove any browned bits remaining in the pan. Let the liquid come to a boil.

Add the partially cooked chicken back to the pan along with the drained dry mushroom pieces. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Whisk the milk and the remaining flour together in a small bowl and stir the mixture along with the cream cheese into the pan with the chicken. When the sauce is smooth, add the al dente pasta and toss to coat.

Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the pasta absorbs a bit of the creamy sauce. Taste and add kosher salt and more black pepper if required. Serve immediately.

MARINATED FLANK STEAK

Leave a reply

I just love being able to prepare part of what I plan to serve for dinner earlier in the day. And then, like with this entrée, ask Mr. C. to finish the dish by throwing it on the BBQ. This leaves my hands free to whip up or put the finishing touches on the side dishes. And who doesn’t love wonderfully tender and delicious steak? OK, if you’re a vegetarian, you might not feel the same way I do. But then, you wouldn’t be reading this post in the first place. So, assuming that you too are a marinated steak fan, may I highly recommend this recipe.

And I know. Not everyone has the luxury of slowly reading the paper in the morning sipping on an Americano. And then casually fixing breakfast, cleaning up the kitchen and making a marinade in which to allow the flank steak that you defrosted in the refrigerator overnight soak up all the flavors as it once again spends some quality time in the fridge. But there is a solution even if you are still gainfully employed. Make the marinade the night before. Then before leaving for work the next morning, slip the meat into the marinade, cover, put in the fridge, and walk away knowing a good portion of that night’s dinner is well on its way to being marvelous. Sounds easy, right? But, having been a working mom and not an early riser, every blessed minute of my morning ritual did not include anything more than putting breakfast on the table and getting myself out the door in time to not be late for work. So, you might just want to save this recipe for weekends.

But regardless of when you plan to serve this lovely steak, do it. It truly is yummy.

Well, that’s it for today. It has been very rainy the last couple of days because of an “atmospheric river”. And from everything I have read, atmospheric rivers are quite interesting. And no, atmospheric rivers are not a new phenomenon. They were only given this pretentious new name sometime in the 1990s.

This is what I learned about these “rivers” by going to the USGS site. I thought you might also find this interesting.

  1. Atmospheric rivers transport water vapor from the tropics towards the poles.
  2. Atmospheric rivers are the largest “rivers” of fresh water on Earth.
  3. There’s a rating system for atmospheric rivers like there is for hurricanes.
  4. Though an atmospheric river can help extinguish fall fires, they can increase the hazard of past and future wildfires.
  5. An atmospheric river mega-storm could be California’s other “Big One.”
  6. Atmospheric rivers are expected to increase in intensity in California due to climate change.

So, there you have it. But I’m not going to worry. Climate change is not a real thing.

At least that is what certain politicians are espousing even though there is a near-universal consensus among scientists that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity. So, la la la, I’m going to bury my head in the sand too. Not! I’m simply going to keep hoping and praying that congress can put their differences aside and just do the job of serving their constituents by making a better world for not just Americans but by becoming a positive influence for other nations. And that means both sides coming together for the betterment of all. And no, I don’t care if you’re republican or democrat. Do the job you were hired to do. And do it right! Dammit!

Only by congress standing up for “we the people”, and not caving to the whim of certain newly elected officials with only their own interests at heart, can any real, beneficial work get accomplished. Or any possibility for the return of hope rather than despair that many of us feel. We will make it through this. But we must all represent decency, humility, gratitude, and uppermost – civility. If we, as individuals can’t be civil, then we can’t expect it of others.

Peace and love to all.

4 tsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning (made by McCormick)

1 T. Italian seasoning

freshly ground black pepper

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. granulated garlic

¼ tsp. granulated onion

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

¼ c. red wine

1-2 lb. flank steak, fat and silver skin removed and lightly scored.

Combine the Montreal Steak Seasoning, Italian seasoning, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, granulated garlic, granulated onion, olive oil, and red wine together in a glass pan. Place the flank steak in the marinade and turn several times to coat every bit of the steak. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or longer for extra flavor and tenderness.

Remove the steak from the fridge about 45 minutes before grilling over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes. (Discard the marinade.)

Then flip the steak and grill until cooked medium-rare. (About 130-degrees when poked with an instant read thermometer.)  

Remove from the grill, cover for about 5 minutes, then thinly slice on the diagonal. Serve immediately.  

GRILLED RACK OF LAMB WITH MINT CHIMICHURRI SAUCE  

Leave a reply

Mr. C. has been crazy busy with rehearsals and gigs this entire summer. And especially during the month of August. So, the other day we looked at each other with the same thought in mind. “Is it really too much to ask for a little boring from time to time?” And I know. We bring all this super busy life on ourselves.

But yesterday, we were actually going to be home for dinner after days and days of seemingly always being away from home for our evening meal. Hallelujah. And Mr. C. expressed a desire to be part of the thrilling experience of cooking dinner. And I remembered that my dear husband loves to grill.

Never having been much of a griller myself (as I’m sure my two cooking buddies Jim H. and Paul F. would attest to unanimously), I just don’t often think about grilling opportunities for Mr. C. But there was this lovely rack of lamb in our freezer that had been calling to me for weeks. And although I have several great baked rack of lamb recipes on this site, I decided this time I was going to find a recipe that called for the lamb to be grilled. So, online I proceeded and found this recipe on the saltpepperskillet.com site.

And oh boy was this recipe a great find. I made a few minimal changes, but then, that’s just how I roll. But the basic recipe is all on Justin.  

What really first drew my attention to this particular recipe was the Mint Chimichurri Sauce.

I had just posted a recipe (Cherry Tomatoes in an Argentine Chimichurri Sauce),and frankly, I was still on a “chimichurri high” when I found this amazing recipe. And it was just enough different from my other rack of lamb recipes, that I just had to give it a try. Yeah me!!!

So, if you too are a lamb lover as apposed to a landlubber (a person unfamiliar with the sea or sailing), I suggest you give this recipe a try. You will not be sorry.

Well, that’s it for now. We actually have some blue skies today, which we have not experienced for the last few days. But it’s quite windy and when I went out to water, it was darn right cold. I could actually feel fall in the air.

I AM NOT READY FOR IT TO BE FALL! (That sound you hear is me stomping my feet like any typical 4-year-old!) But really. We just have not had enough summer this year. And I’m not happy about the whole darn thing! (And yes, that’s still me stomping my feet!) But I must go with the flow. (But that doesn’t mean I have to like it!)  

So, my wish for you is that the rest of your summer be warm, but not too warm, sunny, but not too sunny, rainy, if you need the rain, and free of wildfires, wildfire smoke, tornadoes, eruptions, landslides, and any other egregious condition brought on by Mother Nature.  

And of course, as always, full to the brim with an abundance of peace and love.

For the Grilled Rack of Lamb:

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 rack of lamb, extra fat removed

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

coarse sea salt

Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub mixture over the lamb and let it sit covered in your refrigerator for about 1 hour. Then remove from fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.

Pre-heat your grill to medium-hot for about 15 minutes.

Before grilling the lamb, season the lamb al over lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Sear the rack of lamb, bone side down, with the lid closed for about 5 minutes. Turn and grill the meaty side for another 5 minutes with the lid down. Then move the rack to indirect heat to finish cooking until the internal temperature reaches 120 to 125-degrees for medium-rare, or 130 to 135-degrees for medium.

Remove from grill and rest the lamb for 7-10 minutes on a cutting board tented with aluminum foil, then slice between the rib bones.

Sprinkle coarse sea salt on each piece of lamb before serving with the mint chimichurri sauce.   

For the Mint Chimichurri Sauce:

¼ c. packed fresh mint

¼ c. packed fresh Italian parsley

1 garlic clove 

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. red wine vinegar, or more to taste

tiny pinch crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. finely diced white onion

Place the mint, parsley, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper in a blender or food processor.

Pulse until the ingredients are well chopped, but not puréed.  

Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and stir in the diced red onion.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and store in the refrigerator until needed.

GRILLED TERIYAKI MARINATED/SAUCED FLANK STEAK  

Leave a reply

I love teriyaki. I don’t care if it’s chicken or beef, as long as the meat has lots of flavor and hasn’t been cooked to death. (Isn’t that a stupid statement. Anything you cook, be it meat or vegies, is already dead. But I digress.)

Anyway, I am currently on a mission to use up the meat in our freezer that Mr. C. has deemed “obviously abandoned”. And included in that category were two small packages of mystery meat. One contained a small piece of sirloin steak (as it turned out), and the other, half a flank steak.

So, while the meat was thawing, I went to work finding a new and exciting way to give this meat the respect it deserved. And I landed on this teriyaki marinade recipe from the heartnaptime.net site. (Great site BTW.)  

And OMG, what a wonderful teriyaki dinner we had last evening. Along with steamed brown rice, I prepared Teriyaki Salad Dressing over Romaine, Carrot, Celery, and Green Onions. (Recipe to be published in the next few days.) (But get a preview by scrolling down to find the recipe below.)

Now, this is not a wimpy marinade/sauce recipe. It is bold, brazen, and any other word you might think of to mean “holy moly powerful”! So, go slowly into that good sauce when it comes time to decorate the grilled meat before serving.

Well, that’s all I have to say today. Mr. C. has a gig in Anacortes at 3:00 this afternoon. So, I am going to keep this preface short and sweet. Which reminds me, this teriyaki marinade/sauce is not too sweet. A taste of honey, as the old song title goes, but not in the least bit overpoweringly sugary. Perfectly balanced.

So, next time you get a hankering for teriyaki, give this recipe a try. Easy, and relatively inexpensive to make. And better than most beef teriyaki you can find in restaurants.

Happy Saturday to all. And of course, peace and love from our home to yours.

½ c. low-sodium Tamari or soy sauce  

¼ c. water

2 T. toasted sesame oil

2 T. honey 

2 T.  Worcestershire sauce

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2-3 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1½ lbs. flank steak, fat and silver skin removed 

sliced green onions, garnish   

Combine the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, honey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and ginger in a glass bowl. Whisk until combined. Pour 1/3rd of the marinade in a small pan. Set aside.

Add the flank steak to the remining marinade, cover, and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. (Best when marinated for 4-6 hours.) Remove from fridge at least 30 minutes ahead of grilling.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.  

Place the steak on the hot grill and cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn the steak over and grill another 2-3 minutes. For medium-rare (135-degrees). 

Remove from grill and let rest for about 5 minutes before thinly slicing on the diagonal. Serve with remaining marinade (now teriyaki sauce) which has been brought to a boil, reduced to simmer, and cooked for about 5 minutes.

TERIYAKI SALAD DRESSING FOR ROMAINE, CARROT, CELERY, AND GREEN ONIONS

For the dressing:

½ c. mayonnaise  

1 T. rice vinegar  

2 tsp. granulated sugar  

1 tsp. soy sauce

tiny pinch granulated garlic  

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

freshly ground black pepper (not too much)

Whisk together the mayo, rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, granulated garlic, sesame oil, and black pepper in a covered container. Refrigerate before serving.

For the salad:

3-4 c. chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce

½ c. shredded carrot

½ c. thinly sliced celery or cabbage

2 finely chopped green onions

Place in a bowl and toss lightly with salad dressing just before serving.

TOMATO CREAM SAUCE FOR RAVIOLI, TORTELLINI, OR GNOCCHI  

Leave a reply

For me, there are only two sauces that truly compliment cheese ravioli, tortellini, or gnocchi. The two sauces being tomato cream and gorgonzola cream. So, the other evening at a local Italian restaurant, Mr. C. was hungry for ravioli, so he ordered ravioli that came in a fantastic tomato cream sauce. And I had my mouth set for gnocchi smothered in creamy gorgonzola sauce. So, that’s what I ordered.  

Now, gorgonzola sauce, I can make at home. But a good tomato cream sauce, nope. Not until now.

Oh, I’ve tried over the years to come up with a good recipe. Using vodka, not using vodka. One with multiple ingredients, one with only 5 ingredients. Yup, I’ve given it my best. But none before had the depth of flavor I was looking for.

But after once again tasting a luscious tomato cream sauce, (I swiped a ravioli off Andy’s plate), I knew I had to try again.   

So, I went online and found several recipes that looked good. I ended up slightly modifying a recipe I found on theburntbuttertable.com site.

So, if you too love tomato cream sauce, I suggest you give this simple recipe a try. The sauce is truly delicious with that wonderful depth of flavor that was missing in my other attempts.

And in case you too are crazy for gorgonzola cream sauce, please check out my recipe entitled Ricotta Cheese Gnocchi in a Gorgonzola Cream Sauce. I’m sure you will like that fantastic pasta dish too.

But do not deceive yourself. Neither of these recipes are low fat. (They are “cream” sauces after all.) But for an occasional treat, there is just no finer way to put on weight. And believe me, I am the grandmaster at adding pounds one creamy mouthful at a time!

Well, that’s it for now. I’m about to go build cornbread to go with the chili I’m serving for tonight’s dinner. I mean really, how could I expect Mr. C. to eat chili without a side of cornbread slathered in butter. Inconceivable!! And of course, for the chili toppings – grated sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chopped green onions.  

And as always from our home to yours, peace and love to all.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter

½ small white onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely diced

1 tsp. anchovy paste

pinch kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 small can tomato sauce (preferably Italian tomatoes)

2-3 T. tomato paste (preferably Italian tomatoes)

1 c. heavy cream

½ c. half & half

1-2 T. fresh lemon juice

1/3 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for table

6-8 oz. al dente cheese ravioli, tortellini, or gnocchi (depending on how “saucy” you like your pasta)  

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium sized heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until very soft. Add the garlic, anchovy paste, salt, and pepper. Cook for a minute.   

Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste and whisk to combine, cooking for a minute or two.

With the heat on low, add the cream and half and half and whisk to combine thoroughly. (The cream should never go past a very gentle simmer.)  

Add 1 tablespoon of the fresh lemon juice, taste, and add more if desired.

Remove from heat and stir in the finely grated Parmesan.   

Add your drained pasta straight into the sauce with a splash of pasta water if necessary. Let the pasta bubble away in the sauce gently for a minute or two to thicken the sauce.  

Taste and adjust seasoning if required.

Serve with extra Parmesan.  

   

MEATLOAF

Leave a reply

If there is one dish that everyone from a gourmet to a person who favors simple food can agree upon, it’s meatloaf. Now, the ingredients may differ a bit from one category of eater to the other, but the fact remains. Almost everyone loves a good meatloaf.

So, when I woke up yesterday morning wondering what to make for dinner, meatloaf immediately came to mind. It’s easy to prepare, and there are a wide variety of side dishes that compliment this entrée. One especially came to mind (Risi E Bisi – Italian Rice and Peas) since I had just read about the dish in the book I am currently reading.    

The book takes place in Venice and what the family of the protagonist eats for lunch or dinner is often included in the narrative. Not the recipes unfortunately, but enough of a description to make me either reluctant to even think about fixing it or eager to go directly to my kitchen and make like a cook.

The mystery series is written by Donna Leon and the protagonist is Commissario Guido Brunetti. The title of the book I am currently reading is “Unto Us a Son Is Given”. (Great reading BTW. I highly recommend this series if you are a mystery nut like me!) (And Risi E Bisi turned out to be as delicious as suggested by the author. I will be sharing this recipe with you in the near future.) But back to meatloaf.

This is not a new recipe. In fact, it is already on this site under the tantalizing title – Old Fashioned Meatloaf.

But never-the-less, I thought it might be a good idea to remind you of the merits of meatloaf lest you had forgotten this simple dish in your quest for new and exciting taste sensations. Not that I don’t go that route myself at every opportunity. But sometimes it’s just nice to sink your teeth into an old favorite.

May you too have many favorite dishes from which to choose.  

And as always, peace and love to all.

1 c. finely chopped onion

½ c. dried breadcrumbs (I use Italian breadcrumbs)

1 T. dehydrated parsley

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1 tsp. granulated garlic

freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp. ground savory

1 lg. egg

¼ c. milk

1 lb. bulk sausage (breakfast or sweet Italian)

1 lb. lean ground beef

2 T. brown sugar

⅓ c. ketchup

In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir the onion, breadcrumbs, parsley, seasoned salt, granulated garlic, pepper, savory, egg, and milk together. Gently stir in the sausage, then the ground beef. (Don’t overwork the mixture.) Form into 2 loaves and place on a small, rimmed baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes in a pre-heated 350-degree oven. Remove from oven and spread with brown sugar and ketchup that have been stirred together. Return pan to oven and bake for another 20 – 25 minutes. (Don’t over bake.) Internal temperature should be 155-160 degrees.

SEARED SCALLOP FETTUCCINI

Leave a reply

We love scallops. We love pasta. We love lemons. We love capers. Put ’em together and what have you got? Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo. (Feel free to sing along with Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother and me if you like.)  But in this combination, instead of “Salagadoola Menchicka Boola”, you get “Scallops Nofoola Mucha to Droola” – Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo! (And no, I can’t help myself sometimes!)

But seriously, this simple recipe makes for some mighty fine eating. Serve a green salad or steamed veggie on the side, and dinner is ready before you can remember why in the world you still remember that stupid song from Cinderella and can’t remember why you walked in your pantry 75% of the time! Need I say more? I thought not!

Well, that’s it for today. We have nothing on our calendar today which is just fine with both of us. I mean really, is a bit of boredom too much to ask?

I hope you enjoy this recipe. (And in case you don’t notice immediately, there’s no heavy cream in this sauce. I gave myself a gold star for that very reason!)  

And as always, from my kitchen to yours – peace, love, and fine dining to all.

½ lb. sea scallops (small flash frozen are perfect for this dish)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 T. unsalted butter, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. flour  

1 c. chicken broth

1 c. whole milk

½ tsp. fresh lemon zest

3 – 4 T. fresh lemon juice

¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

2 T. capers, liquid drained

6-8 oz. fettuccini, cooked al dente (save some of the pasta water)

1 T. finely chopped fresh parsley

Pat scallops dry with a paper towel and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned scallops and sear for about 2 minutes on each side. The bottom and top should be a light golden brown. (You don’t want to cook scallops too long, or they will be tough. It’s actually better if they are a bit underdone.)

Transfer the scallops to a container and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.

Then whisk in the chicken broth and whole milk making sure there are no lumps. Raise heat to medium and let simmer for 2 – 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Whisk the entire time.

Reduce heat to medium-low, and whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. Once fully combined, remove from heat and gently stir in the seared scallops, capers, and hot al dente pasta. Add pasta water if needed to achieve desired sauce consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

Serve immediately topped with fresh parsley and pass Parmesan cheese.

THREE ONION CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP  

Leave a reply

Confession time. I hardly ever make my own chicken or beef stock anymore. I used to be all gung-ho and make homemade stock all the time. But as I’ve gotten older and Better Than Bouillon bases have come into my life, I don’t feel the need to regularly go to all that work. And I know, preservatives Patti. Aren’t you the one always preaching homemade everything. And yes, that’s true. But sometimes it just makes better sense to use my time more productively. (How’s that for justification 101?)

I learned about this type of thinking from a friend who recently recited to me the first paragraph of the new bestseller “Justification for Dummies, An Insider’s Guide to the Thinking (or lack thereof) of former President – – – – – “. (Name withheld to protect the innocent. Me, in this case.) But back to this post.

Just so you know, when there are bones available, I do make my own stock. But that’s not what this post is all about.

This recipe is for the times when all you have is a package of chicken, a few fresh herbs and veggies, and you want a soup that tastes like it started with homemade bone broth and required hours of gentle simmering.  Which, BTW, this recipe fulfills.

So, if you too love chicken noodle soup, you might want to give this recipe a try. It really is very flavorful.

And in case you might desire a copy of the “Dummies” book described above, you won’t be able to find one online or even at your local bookstore. They are literally flying off the shelves in blue states, mainly being used as insulation or to line kitty litter boxes. And in red states, this book has already been banned for speaking uncomfortable truths. So, no luck there!

On a serious note, may you continue to think intelligently and remain compassionate enough to decern truth from fiction, see preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience (prejudice) for what it is, and have the courage to stand up for what you believe. And always with your own rights and the rights of others foremost in every action you take.

As always, peace and love to all.  

3 T. unsalted butter

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

½ med. yellow onion, finely chopped

¼ c. finely minced shallot

6 green onions, finely chopped, divided

2 lg. carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

8 c. water

2-3 T. chicken base (I use Better Than Bouillon Chicken base)

¼ c. chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp. chopped fresh sage leaves

1 lg. bay leaf

1 tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

tiny pinch crushed red pepper flakes

2 c. chopped and massaged kale

2 c. egg noodles

Melt butter in a large, covered stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken pieces and fry until crispy brown. Remove to bowl leaving as much butter in the pan as possible. Set chicken aside in your fridge.

Add the onion, shallot, half of the chopped green onion, carrots, and celery to the pan. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the veggies soften a bit, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  

Add the water, chicken base, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and sage, and gently stir until combined.  Then add the bay leaf, seasoned salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about an hour.

After an hour taste and adjust the seasoning.

Just before serving, bring soup just to a boil and stir in the egg noodles, cooked chicken, and kale. Cook until the noodles are al dente.  

Taste the broth again and add seasonings if necessary.

Serve immediately garnished with remaining green onion. 

Miles may not be comforted by chicken soup, but he sure does love the decorative pillows in our guest room.

GLUTEN FREE CHICKEN MEATBALLS IN A WHITE WINE SAUCE

Leave a reply

There are just times when a gluten free main dish containing meat is required. And of course, many meat dishes are gluten free. But when the meat dish is going to be served to people at a large gathering, some of whom will not be sitting at a table, you need to serve a dish that does not require a knife. For example, a perfectly grilled steak or pork chop, or food that requires you to perhaps use your hands or a knife, like fried chicken or ribs. These wonderful entrees are delicious, but very hard to eat when your plate is on your lap. Not to mention messy.  

So many hosts don’t consider this when they are planning their menu. And believe me, I know how hard it is to plan a menu for a large event. So many things to be considered. Theme, flavor variety, dietary restrictions, texture (crunch for example), color variety, dishes that can be prepared ahead, and of course, the expense involved. These are all items that need a great deal of consideration before you start shopping for ingredients. Because I have had many occasions to feed large groups, I’ve learned to make spreadsheets for each of these events. (I’m too old to keep all the balls in the air like I used to. So, I rely on my Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to keep me on track!) Plus, then I can go back and reference what I served if need be. (At this point, I consider Excel spreadsheets an essential kitchen tool. Not as dear to me as my KitchenAid mixer, but darn close!) Anyway, I have attached the spreadsheet from our last JazzVox in home concert. Just the food prep portion. What I didn’t enclose was the next page that told me when to take things out of the freezer or fridge, and when to put them in the oven if necessary. (I didn’t want you to see how totally inept I have become. It’s embarrassing!)

But back to these meatballs and sauce.

They are good. Really good. And simple to prepare. And they can be baked. In fact, I’ve given up frying any kind of meatball. I bake them all.

And as for the white wine sauce, well, I would advise you to prepare it just before it’s needed. I made mine a couple days ahead because of time constraints. And I used gluten free flour as the thickener. Not a good choice. The sauce didn’t break down, but it wasn’t smooth. It tasted just fine, but I lost points on the presentation. Next time I will use either cornstarch or arrowroot.

Well, that’s it for today. Mr. C. has a gig in Seattle and I’m going along for the fun. The venue is in the Green Lake area, so that means we can have dinner at Spud Fish and Chips. Which BTW, has been in the Seattle area since 1935. I can hardly wait!

And sorry about no picture. But I was just too busy getting all the food out so that the hungry hoard could eat before the concert began. But next time I make these meatballs, I will add a picture. That is of course, if I remember. No guarantees.

Peace and love to all.  

For the Meatballs:

¼ c. chicken broth

2 lg. eggs

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

½ tsp. dried basil 

2 med. cloves garlic, minced  

½ c. finely minced yellow or white onion

1 T. finely chopped, fresh Italian parsley

1½ c. gluten free fresh breadcrumbs* (crusts and all)

2 lb. ground chicken (or ground turkey)

extra virgin olive oil

Whisk the chicken broth, eggs, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and dried basil together in a bowl.  Add the garlic, onion, parsley, breadcrumbs, and ground chicken. Gently mix all the ingredients together until thoroughly combined.

Using a #40 (orchid handle) (about 2 tablespoons) ice cream scoop, plop balls on a lightly olive oil greased baking sheet close together. Don’t pack the ice cream scoops. You want to handle the mixture lightly.

Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven until cooked through (internal temp at least 165-degrees), about 18 minutes. Don’t overbake.

Remove from oven and use right away, or let cool completely and store covered in your fridge for a couple of days, or freeze for future use.

When ready to serve, heat meatballs and carefully stir in the sauce. Garnish with parsley.

*I just cut thin slices of bread (crust and all), then cut into tiny cubes. I don’t pack them into a measuring cup. I just place the cubes in the cup until it is full.

Makes about 48 meatballs.

For the White Wine Sauce: (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

⅓ c. finely chopped shallot 

2 med. cloves garlic, finely minced

½ c. dry white wine – such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc

2 c. chicken broth (or 2 cups water and 2 heaping teaspoons chicken base)

¾ tsp. kosher salt  

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. cornstarch or arrowroot powder

¼ c. water

1 T. fresh lemon juice

4 T. chopped fresh parsley, divided

Heatthe olive oil in a heavy pan. Add the shallot and gently sauté until tender. Add the garlic for about 1 minute, stirring the whole time.

Add the wine and cook until all but evaporated.

Add the chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes to blend flavors.

Whisk the cornstarch or arrowroot powder with the water and lemon juice. Gradually stir into hot liquid until blended. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and boil for one minute. If the sauce is not as thick as you would like, make another bit of slurry by whisking a bit more starch with water, and repeat the process.   

Add 3 tablespoons of the parsley, taste, and adjust seasoning. Use remaining parsley as garnish.   

CASSOULET

Leave a reply

Cassoulet before topped with duck

Cooked duck for topping/garnish

As the Beatles sing “I get by with a little help from my friends”. In this case, “a lot of help from my friend”. My friend, this time, being Jim.

It all started with me buying all the meat for cassoulet about a year ago. Then of course, time went by and the ingredients for this classic French dish languished in the freezer portion of our basement refrigerator/freezer. Until one day when Mr. C. asked me for maybe the 4th time when I was going to use the expensive meat I had purchased to try my hand at making cassoulet? Well, I can take a hint! (Especially after 4 “reminders”.) Huh, perhaps I should get my act together and use the meat as planned. So, I called Jim and Margo and invited them to dinner.

My cassoulet was OK, but both Jim and I felt it needed some work. So, Jim suggested we prepare the dish together for our Christmas Eve dinner. What a grand idea! (It actually saved me coming up with a dinner plan. So, I was thrilled on two levels.)

So, the recipe you find below is the result of a joint venture. But I must confess, most of the reason the recipe turned out to be so delicious, is all on Jim. So, we all have Mr. H. to thank.  

Well, that’s it for today. Last night Mr. C. had a gig which I attended. Tonight, we are driving to Seattle to hear “Nearly Dan” (a Steely Dan tribute band) at Jazz Alley. And tomorrow Mr. C. has another gig. (There truly is no rest for the wicked.) Anyway, keeping busy keeps us out of trouble. And that’s always a good thing.

And do try this cassoulet recipe. It contains far fewer ingredients than some and comes together fairly quickly. Not an inexpensive dish to make. Especially since it was originally considered peasant food. But how many people these days have ducks living in their backyard, or back bacon or duck fat, etc., just lying around? Not this couple, that’s for sure. And cannellini beans don’t grow on trees here either. So, many of the ingredients for this recipe must be purchased at a premium.

But for a special occasion, this is just the perfect comfort food to serve your family and friends. On that happy note – peace and love to all.

1 lb. dried cannellini or cassoulet beans, rinsed

chicken stock (preferably homemade – recipe below)

8 garlic cloves, sliced

1 c. diced onion

4 bay leaves

2 duck breasts patted dry with paper towels and the skin scored

6 oz. back bacon (unsmoked if possible) cut into ¾-inch cubes (sometimes referred to as “fat back”)  

2-3 bone-less, skinless chicken thighs

½ lb. garlic sausage like Kielbasa or a French style, unsmoked garlic sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal

duck fat, if needed

kosher salt, if needed

freshly ground black pepper (quite a bit)

Day 1:

In a Dutch oven, cover beans with 1 quart chicken stock. Add the garlic, onion, and bay leaves. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2:

Remove beans from fridge. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the beans are tender. (This could take a couple, three hours, so plan ahead.) Keep adding chicken stock as required.

While the beans are cooking, place the duck breasts, skin side down in a cold frying pan. Slowly fry the duck breasts over medium heat until the fat is rendered, and the skin is crispy. Flip and brown the second side. Remove from pan (keeping the pan on your stove) and place the duck breasts in an oven proof pan and bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven only until the internal temperature reaches 125-degrees. Remove from oven and set aside. Pour any duck fat remaining in pan in with the beans. (You can even deglaze the pan with a bit of chicken stock and throw that in with the beans too. The more flavor base the better.) When cool, slice the duck breasts into thin strips.

While the duck is in the oven, cook the back bacon until crispy in the same pan you used to cook the duck. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the chicken thighs to the same pan and cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. When cool cut into small pieces.

Next brown the sausage, adding more duck fat as needed. When browned, remove from pan. Set aside until needed.

Deglaze the pan with chicken stock and add the liquid plus brown bits to the pot of beans along with all the pieces of meat except the duck. Add stock as needed for desired consistency. Cook until the beans are tender. Taste and add salt if necessary and black pepper.

To serve, scoop the beans and meat into large flat soup bowls. Top with duck, skin side up so that it stays crispy. Serve with garlic bread or any toasted chewy bread.

Please note: This cassoulet can be served as a thick stew or as a soup. It all depends on how much stock you add to tenderize the beans. Either way, you are in for a treat.

CHICKEN OR TURKEY STOCK*

4 lbs. chicken or turkey parts, pieces, giblets, and bones

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 leek, white and green part, roughly chopped

2 carrots, cut into 1-inch sections

2 celery ribs, plus leaves, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 garlic cloves

1 bay leaf

3 T. fresh parsley

1 tsp. dried thyme

6 peppercorns

3 qt. water

Spread the chicken or turkey bones, etc. on one very large or 2 smaller rimmed baking pans. Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 1 hour or until the chicken or turkey is well browned. Remove from oven and place the meat in a large, covered Dutch oven and pan.

Pour a small amount of water in the pan(s) and let sit for several minutes. Then using a sturdy spatula, lift all the browned bits off the bottom, along with the water, and add to the pot with meat. Then add all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for at least 3 hours.  

When ready to use or store for future use, remove from heat and let cool for about 30 minutes. Then strain the liquid into a container. Discard all the meat and veggies. If you aren’t going to use the stock immediately, place covered in your refrigerator. Before using, if desired, remove the fat that has formed on the surface.

Use in any recipe calling for stock or broth**.

*Stock is a rich, savory liquid prepared by simmering bones (and in my recipe – flesh) and vegetables in water for hours with herbs and spices until the flavor is extracted. Stock derives its flavor primarily from protein, not from heavy sodium. As a result, stock is usually healthier than broth and delivers a richer mouth feel and deeper flavor than broth.

**Broth, on the other hand, usually contains flesh (no bones) plus a lot of salt. It can be used any time stock is listed as an ingredient. But be aware that it might be quite salty. So, plan to adjust your recipe accordingly if you are using broth rather than stock.